The Committee heard from witnesses who raised concerns about possible links between radiofrequency radiation exposure and cancer, reproductive issues, autism and electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

Radiofrequency radiation

Radiofrequency (RF) energy, a type of non-ionizing radiation, consists of electric and magnetic fields with frequencies from 3khz to 300GHz. Sources of RF radiation include communication devices such as cell phones, wireless internet (WiFi) and broadcast towers, MRI machines, radar guns, and heating equipment such as induction heaters and microwave ovens.

Exposure levels can vary based upon the power and number of the source(s), the direction and frequency, the use of protective barriers and the distance from the source. For example, the Standing Committee heard from educational workers who said it was common to have almost 20 WiFi routers in a school to support wireless technology. Some experts believe this level of exposure can contribute to electromagnetic hypersensitivity characterized by a range of symptoms, from headaches and chronic pain to anxiety and nausea.

In 2011 the International Agency for Research on Cancer evaluated and classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans. This was based upon evidence of increased risk for glioma, a type of brain cancer, linked to wireless phone use.

Health Canada’s Safety Code 6

Health Canada’s Safety Code 6 (Limits of Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Energy in the Frequency Range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz) sets out exposure limits to RF radiation. The guideline applies to anyone working at or visiting a federally regulated site but others, including the Ontario Ministry of Labour, have adopted and use the guideline.

Health Canada completed its own review of Safety Code 6 this spring based upon a report by the Royal Society of Canada. They concluded that no new credible biological evidence had emerged since 2009 to warrant lowering exposure limits. That conclusion was the subject of an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal which questions the research rationale used by Health Canada and suggests current exposure levels aren’t protective enough.

Report recommendations

Many are calling for greater precaution while the science continues to emerge on the adverse health impacts of RF radiation. Meantime, the Standing Committee made 12 recommendations, including: ensuring greater transparency in Health Canada’s reviews of Safety Code 6; updating physician knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of electromagnetic hypersensitivity and reasonable workplace accommodation for those affected; funding new research into the links between RF exposure and health impacts; and examining more protective exposure guidelines in other jurisdictions for possible adoption in Canada.

The Standing Committee presented its findings to the House of Commons on June 17 and has requested the government table a comprehensive response to their Report.

Many other countries have exposure limits that are more protective including in China, Russia, Italy and Switzerland. Just this spring, France banned the use WiFi in day cares and nurseries for children under the age of three benefitting both children and their care providers.

WHSC offers a wide range of training programs, including one on EMF’s and Dirty Electricity, as well as resources to help workplace parties understand their legal duties and responsibilities related to workplace hazards. Many of these resources also offer essential insight into the information and tools needed to eliminate or reduce harmful workplace and environmental exposures.

Melatonin use in children with sleep problem raises concerns

Canada urgently needs guidelines for managing sleep disorders in children, say the authors of a study that found over-the-counter and prescription medications are commonly used to get kids to sleep.

A survey of nearly 350 parents who brought their children to a pediatric emergency department found that 80 per cent of kids with underlying medical conditions and 70 per cent without pre-existing conditions had trouble sleeping.

Among those kids who had repeated sleep problems, 27 per cent had been given over-the-counter medications to help them sleep. Six per cent of the children were given prescription medications.

RELATED LINKS

PHOTOS

A survey of nearly 350 parents who brought their children to a pediatric emergency department found that 80 per cent of kids with underlying medical conditions and 70 per cent without pre-existing conditions had trouble sleeping.

Hormone supplement melatonin was a commonly-used sleep aid in children, along with over-the-counter products like pain relievers and antihistamines, the study found.

Among all kids receiving over-the-counter sleep aids, more than 40 per cent received melatonin.

The study, recently presented to the Canadian Pediatric Society, concludes that “Canadian-wide data on the use of pharmacotherapy to treat, and guidelines for managing pediatric sleep disorders are urgently needed, along with pediatric data on sleep medication safety and dosing.”

Research shows melatonin supplements can promote sleep in children with health problems like cystic fibrosis and autism. But the Canadian Pediatric Society doesn’t recommend its use in healthy kids because no one has ever studied the long-term effects.

One of the authors of the study, Dr. Dirk Bock, said the frequency with which sleep-promoting medications and supplements are used in children is “a little surprising.”

The London Health Sciences Centre pediatrician and researcher at Western University in London, Ont., said study results raise troubling questions.

“Children may start getting used to the fact they need medication to have a good sleep,” Bock said in an interview with CTV News.

Dr. Michael Rieder of the Canadian Pediatric Society went further, calling the findings “stunning.”

“If you had asked me what proportion of Canadian use sleep aids with children two days ago, I would have said probably said a minority,” he told CTV News.

“This is stunning. It is something we should think about.”

Doctors say it's much better to teach children how to sleep naturally --in quiet bedrooms, free of electronic distractions.

“I think there are simple lifestyle measures, which may not be popular at the moment but may be better in the long term,” Rieder said.

Michelle Ferreri, who writes a popular parenting blog, said she tried everything to get her now eight-year-old son Giorgio to sleep.

When someone suggested she try melatonin, Ferreri said she went to a health store and was told that it wasn’t safe to give the hormone supplement to a child.

About a year and a half later, when Giorgio was about six or seven years old, Ferreri took the advice of a trusted friend to try melatonin.

“The first night I gave it to him … within 10 minutes he was asleep,” she said. “We saw instant results with it.”

Ferreri said she’s not surprised that other parents are also giving their children melatonin.

She said she doesn’t have “any outstanding evidence to say there is risk” in giving her son melatonin, especially considering how it has benefited him.

But she agrees with researchers who are calling for urgent studies of the growing use of the supplement.

With a report from CTV’s medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip

Friday, September 18, 2015

The Terror of Wi-Fi Sickness

Are you familiar with Stephen King’s novel “Cell?” “Cell” is the master of horror’s modern take on a zombie apocalypse wherein according to the synopsis, a strange signal is transmitted to people currently talking on their cellphones. The signal messes with their brains and transforms them into rampaging zombies. I like the premise. I even bought the book since I’m a fan of the genre but I’ve yet to find the time to read it being busy and all. I miss the days when I was still on the commute going through book after book paperback or digital. With regards to cellphone signals, there’s been the never-ending debate whether or not cellphone signals, RF, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fiand other electro-magnetic frequencies can cause serious or undetermined long-term effects on human health.

This debate has been sparked once again when a family in Southboro, Massachusetts is suing a local boarding school where the school’s Wi-Fi signal made their boy sick. The 12-year old boy apparently has Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome, described by Wikipedia as follows:

“Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is characterized by a group of symptoms purportedly caused by exposure to electromagnetic fields. A more specific term used in medical literature is idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF). Other terms for IEI-EMF include electrohypersensitivity, electro-sensitivity, and electrical sensitivity (ES). Idiopathic refers to the fact that the cause is unknown.

Although the thermal effects of electromagnetic fields on the body are established, those who are self-described with electromagnetic hypersensitivity report responding to non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (or electromagnetic radiation) at intensities well below the maximum levels permitted by international radiation safety standards.“

The school’s Wi-Fi signal allegedly caused the boy to suffer from headaches, nausea and nosebleeds which started when the school upgraded to a stronger wireless signal back in 2013. The family wants the school to shut down its wireless signal and 250,000 dollars in damages. The school meanwhile had their wi-fi signals along with other background emissions and found that everything was well within safety limits.

“…Isotrope’s assessment was completed in January 2015 and found that the combined lvels of access point emissions, broadcast radio and television signals and other RFE emissions on campus were substantially less than one ten-thousandths of the applicable safety limits…”

Majority of the population would certainly dispute the claim that Wi-Fi would have adverse effects on human health as Wi-Fi is practically everywhere. In malls, in coffee shops, in restaurants and Google even wants to spread Wi-Fi to unreachable areas through its Loon project. We’re bombarded by Wi-Fi signals up to the bathroom and even go looking for it in unlikely places in order to tweet or post something. So, yes. If Wi-fi was indeed dangerous to one’s health, it wouldn’t have been approved. Worst case scenario, if it could be proven, it would be up there with smoking cigarettes.

To be fair to the family, if what they say is true, there is some merit to the boy’s condition if the thing started when the school strengthened its Wi-Fi; that the background signals were tolerable to the boy until that time. But if the condition wasn’t diagnosed before, the boy could have been subjected to even stronger signals at malls and other public places. As Spock would say, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” The parents would be better off home schooling the boy or moving elsewhere out of reach from other Wi-Fi signals that their neighbors use or will use in the future instead of forcing the school to use other means of communication as the association between Wi-Fi and EHS has yet to be proven. This is not to discriminate against the boy but for health reasons as well.

It’s likely that most courts would throw the case out the window. As Wikipedia (though not a 100% reliable source) states with regards to EHS:

“The majority of provocation trials to date have found that self-described sufferers of electromagnetic hypersensitivity are unable to distinguish between exposure and non-exposure to electromagnetic fields, and it is not recognized as a medical condition by the medical or scientific communities. Since a systematic review in 2005 showing no convincing scientific evidence for its being caused by electromagnetic fields, several double-blind experiments have been published, each of which has suggested that people who report electromagnetic hypersensitivity are unable to detect the presence of electromagnetic fields and are as likely to report ill health following a sham exposure as they are following exposure to genuine electromagnetic fields, suggesting the cause to be the nocebo effect”

“EHS is characterized by a variety of non-specific symptoms that differ from individual to individual. The symptoms are certainly real and can vary widely in their severity. Whatever its cause, EHS can be a disabling problem for the affected individual. EHS has no clear diagnostic criteria and there is no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to EMF exposure. Further, EHS is not a medical diagnosis, nor is it clear that it represents a single medical problem. “

Even the association between living near power lines and cancer as well as the association between CRT radiation and pregnancy miscarriages have yet to be solidified, Wi-Fi signals are at a much lower magnitude than the aforementioned. Remember when our parents keep reminding us not to stay close to the TV? It was actually more related to the blue light spectrum (too much is bad for the eyes) than actual radiation.

Then again, just to be safe and to conserve power, turn off all your mobile phones and Wi-Fi hotspots before bedtime.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Consumers Energy Shuts Off Power of Woman Who Is Disabled and Highly Electrosensitive

“I won't put a death sentence on myself,so we have said no to the digital meter.”--Jaime Chimner--

Consumers Energy shut off power today to a woman with extreme sensitivity to electromagnetic frequencies. Jaime Chimner was severely disabled by a chemical accident in Lewiston, Michigan in the 1990s. She developed numerous health problems, suffered a stroke, and has to use a breathing machine. In 2009, she moved to Cheboygan, Michigan. Her symptoms began to worsen, and she developed many new ones, includingpain, great difficulty walking, tinnitus, balance issues, swelling, and more. She has two doctors who have treated her for years. They pinpointed the genesis of her new and worsening symptoms to the digital meter on her new home. Her old home had an analog meter.

On August 26, Jaime (pronounced “Jamie”) and her husband, Joe, removed the meter and replaced it with an analog meter. Jaime says, “By the next morning most of my major medical issues had improved tremendously.”

Her doctors consider her improvement “amazing.” They have documented the changes in her health, and have written letters stating that the digital meter is the only cause they can find for the symptoms she experienced. One doctor wrote a prescription for an analog meter. I spoke with Jaime prior to the time she and her husband replaced their meter. Her thoughts, which were very jumbled with the meter on, were much clearer.

Thursday evening, Jaime and her husband met with Dennis McKee, Consumers Energy’s slick spokesman. He told her that he was going to have her power shut off, despite all of the terrible health effects she has suffered as a result of the meter, and despite the fact that once the meter was removed, the new health effects disappeared. Jaime asked to speak to someone higher up. McKee said, “I have personally made the decision that you will be shut off if you do not accept the digital meter. There is nowhere else to go.” Jaime says, “I won't put a death sentence on myself, so we have said no to the digital meter.”

Jaime has been highly proactive, despite her numerous health problems. Today (Friday, September 11), a camera crew from NBC 4 & 7 appeared at Jaime’s house, along with a reporter from the Cheboygan Tribune, after Jaime told them her power was to be shut off at 2 p.m. Consumers Energy appeared at the appointed time, and proceeded with shut-off. The TV story may run on the 11 o.clock news, or it may run tomorrow.

Jaime requires a breathing machine! Her health has been devastated by the meter. This is inhumanity at its worst! How someone, in this case Dennis McKee, could sit across from someone, look them in the eye, and tell her he does not care about her life is beyond comprehension.These utility companies and their agents are focused on one thing only—power and money. They are like the Nazis who considered the disabled of no account, and sent them to the gas chambers. Jaime has been living in hell, and it was slowly killing her. Rather than do the right thing, the utility company decides to assert its power and its will.

Please let this story spur every one of you to do everything you possibly can to get the Analog Opt-Out Bill passed. If you care for your fellow human, if you believe in justice, you must get out there.

This famous quotation from Martin Niemöller, a Protestant pastor who opposed Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, says it all. Niemoller spent 7 years in a concentration camp, standing by his ideals, and was released when Hitler fell.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.SPEAK OUT! ACT!

GET OUT IN FRONT OF YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR POST OFFICE, OR GO DOOR-TO-DOOR AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE ANALOG CHOICE BILL.

Naperville City Council members this week settled a federal lawsuit filed last winter by a staunch opponent of the city's smart meter installation program.

The 12-page agreement calls for paying $117,500 to Naperville resident Malia "Kim" Bendis, whose Jan. 23 lawsuit accused the city and four of its police officers of violating her constitutional rights.

A founder of the grass-roots Naperville Smart Meter Awareness group, Bendis filed her complaint in U.S. District Court in Chicago two years to the day after her arrest by Naperville police on misdemeanor charges of eavesdropping and resisting a peace officer, charges on which she was later acquitted.

Bendis and members of her group opposed replacement of the city-owned residential analog electric meters at their homes with wireless alternatives. Bendis maintained police intervened during an installation of one of the devices at a home, in violation of her civil rights. The filing, which named four Naperville Police Department officers, also asserted that city officials decided in a closed door meeting to arrest Bendis and any other residents who interfered with their plan to "forcibly install the smart meters."

"This agreement shall not, in any way, be construed as an admission by the (city or police) that they have acted wrongfully with respect to (Bendis)," the agreement states.

According to the suit, Bendis and other residents made recordings of officers during the forced meter installations.

"The recordings made by other Naperville residents were made openly and recorded the conversations of the agents and police," the suit stated. "None of these other residents were arrested for recording the police officers and installation agents without their consent."

Last week, Tragedy and Hope posted a profound video interview with author Patrick Wood, entitled Technocracy, Trilaterals and TPP.
This interview has everything to do with the so-named ‘smart’ grid, the global metering agenda, the history behind it, and where this is all going if we do not change course.
The information and context which Wood expertly presents here cannot be easily dismissed. We encourage all who want to solve the root of the problems we face, to watch and share this important piece.

Watch the 3-part interview:http://www.tragedyandhope.com/technocracy-trilaterals-tpp-an-interview-with-patrick-wood/Patrick Wood, author of the seminal book Technocracy Rising, has been researching geopolitics and the Trilateral Commission for the past 40 years.
In part 2, Wood talks about the current shift to a 'new economic order': a feudal economy based on carbon credits. He states that similarly to a cap on our daily ATM cash withdrawls, one could easily surmise how, for example, travel could be restricted to only those who have behaved in a way that is deemed to be acceptable.
In such an economic 'order', even the privilege to have access to electricity would also be subject to our good behavior. (And so-named 'smart' meters come handily pre-built with remote disconnect abilities, making it super-easy for tyrants.) We are already seeing this exact paradigm at work, with several utilities disconnecting some customers, even as winter approaches — repeated acts of criminal negligence. Example: DTE disconnected this 92-year old woman yesterday because she does not want a meter designed to surveil and emit pulsed radiation.
Later in part 2, Wood then outlines the threat that technocracy poses to civilization itself:

“If technocracy wins this battle, and they implement it on a global basis, it will again take at hundreds of years before the concept of freedom and liberty liberty will surface again.”
“Once they get control of the economic mechanism, they will have control over virtually life itself. And they will be able to make the people of the world dance like puppets on a string.”

In part 3, Wood speaks on the necessity of taking action at this time in history:

“They’re 3 to 5 years away now, from having the processing power, to analyze that [surveillance] data, to tell them what it means. Then we’re in trouble. We’re in big trouble.
“In Miami, just this last week, they’re implementing a ‘pre-crime’ division. Think in terms of the movie Minority Report. This is scary stuff.”

Wood was then asked what’s the most important thing people need to grasp right now:

“It’s whothe enemy is. Americans and patriots and people struggling against this whole thing for decades, I believe have had their ladder leaning up against the wrong wall. I certainly did for a long time.”
“The great Chinese military philosopher Sun Tzu said, ‘If you don’t know the enemy you cannot possibly win the war.’ We’ve been trying to win the war for 40 years, and we’ve lost – we’re worse off today.”
“We need to see the enemy for who he really is. And then and only then can we make a target out of it, to push these people out of influence in our country.”

I spoke with filmmaker and history educator Richard Grove of Tragedy and Hope earlier this week. He shared his perspective on the significance of the metering agenda within the bigger picture:

“The so-called ‘smart’ grid, meters and devices of the 21stcentury are to Americans, what the Gulag Archipelago was to the Soviets of the 20th Century. The fact that most Americans don’t know what the Gulag was, is the reason why there’s a technocratic surveillance system being thus far successfully rolled out.
“Those who have opposed the ‘smart’ meter rollouts are among the most-aware and resistant to the trend of Technocracy as a means of surveillance and control over individuals.”

If you find the video interview to be informative and valuable to your understanding, Tragedy and Hope creates commercial-free educational videos, documentary films, and a podcast curriculum to embolden individual liberty and overall freedom. T&H has an online research community, and is funded by individuals like you, who value their time and appreciate the organization of information, so we can all learn to think for ourselves.Watch the 3-part interview here:http://www.tragedyandhope.com/technocracy-trilaterals-tpp-an-interview-with-patrick-wood/The excellent work of Tragedy and Hope is funded by memberships.Subscribe at:http://www.tragedyandhope.com/subscribe

Same story everywhere. Customers pay billions. Receive fire-prone, pulse-radiating devices which harm you and give up your control & data. Utilities get rich on goldmine, cataloguing your actions in your own home. It's all about the data. You are collateral damage to them.

* * *

Share the Film, Join the Mission

Please donate or volunteer for the solutions-based 2nd Phase of our work. Your support is making a crucial difference!

Around the world, Take Back Your Power (2014 Edition) is awakening people to the 'smart' meter agenda, and the empowering actions each of us can take. Visit our DVD shop or stream the film online now via Amazon Prime, iTunes or VHX.Buy bulk DVDs for up to 50% off.

Follow news and developments as they happen on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Wireless communication such as cellular telephones and other types of handheld phones working with frequencies of 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2450MHz have been increasing rapidly. Therefore, public opinion concern about the potential human health hazards of short and long-term effect of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation. Oxidative stress is a biochemical condition, which is defined by the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the anti-oxidative defense. In this review, we evaluated available in vitro and in vivo studies carried out on the relation between RF emitted from mobile phones and oxidative stress. The results of the studies we reviewed here indicated that mobile phones and similar equipment or radars can be thought as a factor, which cause oxidative stress. Even some of them claimed that oxidative stress originated from radiofrequencies can be resulted with DNA damage. For this reason one of the points to think on is relation between mobile phones and oxidative stress. However, more performance is necessary especially on human exposure studies.

ExcerptsBrain was believed to be the most affected organ simply because head is exposed to radiofrequencies (RF) due to mobile phone usage. Therefore, at the beginning, studies mainly focused on the relation between RF emitted from mobile phones and its adverse health effects especially brain tumors (Dasdag et al., 2008a, Dasdag et al., 2009, Dasdag et al., 2012 and Hardel et al., 1999). Afterwards, studies on mobile phone exposure focused on other organs especially on reproductive organs (Celik et al., 2012 and Nisbet et al., 2012) The results of these studies in this field are still contradictive (Agarwal et al., 2011, Akdag et al., 1999 and Dasdag et al., 1999; 2003; Lee et al., 2012). Parallel to mobile phone studies, recently studies have been undertaken to focus on health hazards of other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, which also emits RF (Avendano et al., 2012, Atasoy et al., 2013 and Saygin et al., 2011). It is obvious that RF emitted from Wi-Fi equipment affect entire body. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate sensitive organs during Wi-Fi exposure because of the whole body exposure. Thus, large scale and long duration studies are necessary to answer this question. As it is evident from other radiation types, some of the radiosensitive organs are brain, thyroid and reproductive organs etc. However, one of the main mechanisms lying under biohazard of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation may probably be oxidative stress which largely results from free radical formation.

We can summarize the results of the articles presented here under some headings.

• Overwhelming of the studies reviewed here indicated that mobile phones or similar wireless equipment increase the oxidative stress.

• Some of the authors believe that mobile phones cause DNA damage by means of increasing of oxidative stress.

• A few of the studies claimed that mobile phones have not any oxidative effects.

• Human studies are very informative and their results are quite disturbing. However, numbers of the studies are very limited and further studies should be performed as soon as possible.

• Regulation on working conditions of the radar technicians should be reconsidered in terms of occupational oxidative stress originated from radars.

In conclusion, most of the articles reported that mobile phones and similar equipment or radars can be thought as a factor, which cause oxidative stress. Some of the authors claimed that oxidative stress originated from radiofrequencies can be resulted with DNA damage. However, maximum attention should be paid methodology, exposure setup and other exposure parameters when new studies programed. More human exposure studies are necessary to clarify the topic.

Abstract

This review aims to cover experimental data on oxidative effects of low-intensity radiofrequency radiation (RFR) in living cells. Analysis of the currently available peer-reviewed scientific literature reveals molecular effects induced by low-intensity RFR in living cells; this includes significant activation of key pathways generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of peroxidation, oxidative damage of DNA and changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. It indicates that among 100 currently available peer-reviewed studies dealing with oxidative effects of low-intensity RFR, in general, 93 confirmed that RFR induces oxidative effects in biological systems. A wide pathogenic potential of the induced ROS and their involvement in cell signaling pathways explains a range of biological/health effects of low-intensity RFR, which include both cancer and non-cancer pathologies. In conclusion, our analysis demonstrates that low-intensity RFR is an expressive oxidative agent for living cells with a high pathogenic potential and that the oxidative stress induced by RFR exposure should be recognized as one of the primary mechanisms of the biological activity of this kind of radiation.

Conclusions

The analysis of modern data on biological effects of lowi-ntensity RFR leads to a firm conclusion that this physical agent is a powerful oxidative stressor for living cell. The oxidative efficiency of RFR can be mediated via changes in activities of key ROS-generating systems, including mitochondria and non-phagocytic NADH oxidases, via direct effects on water molecules, and via induction of conformation changes in biologically important macromolecules. In turn, a broad biological potential of ROS and other free radicals, including both their mutagenic effects and their signaling regulatory potential, makes RFR a potentially hazardous factor for human health. We suggest minimizing the intensity and time of RFR exposures, and taking a precautionary approach towards wireless technologies in everyday human life.

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity - an increasing challenge to the medical profession.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In 1970, a report from the former Soviet Union described the "microwave syndrome" among military personnel, working with radio and radar equipment, who showed symptoms that included fatigue, dizziness, headaches, problems with concentration and memory, and sleep disturbances. Similar symptoms were found in the 1980s among Swedes working in front of cathode ray tube monitors, with symptoms such as flushing, burning, and tingling of the skin, especially on the face, but also headaches, dizziness, tiredness, and photosensitivity. The same symptoms are reported in Finns, with electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) being attributed to exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). Of special concern is involuntary exposure to radiofrequency (RF)-EMF from different sources. Most people are unaware of this type of exposure, which has no smell, color, or visibility. There is an increasing concern that wireless use of laptops and iPads in Swedish schools, where some have even abandoned textbooks, will exacerbate the exposure to EMF.

METHODS:

We have surveyed the literature on different aspects of EHS and potential adverse health effects of RF-EMF. This is exemplified by case reports from two students and one teacher who developed symptoms of EHS in schools using Wi-Fi.

RESULTS:

In population-based surveys, the prevalence of EHS has ranged from 1.5% in Sweden to 13.3% in Taiwan. Provocation studies on EMF have yielded different results, ranging from where people with EHS cannot discriminate between an active RF signal and placebo, to objectively observed changes following exposure in reactions of the pupil, changes in heart rhythm, damage to erythrocytes, and disturbed glucose metabolism in the brain. The two students and the teacher from the case reports showed similar symptoms, while in school environments, as those mentioned above.

DISCUSSION:

Austria is the only country with a written suggestion to guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems. Apart from this, EHS is not recognized as a specific diagnosis in the rest of the world, and no established treatment exists.

CONCLUSION:

It seems necessary to give an International Classification of Diseases to EHS to get it accepted as EMF-related health problems. The increasing exposure to RF-EMF in schools is of great concern and needs better attention. Longer-term health effects are unknown. Parents, teachers, and school boards have the responsibility to protect children from unnecessary exposure.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

The Victorian smart-meter fiasco

Although the author of the below article does not mention many of the negative aspects of smart meters (he should see Take Back Your Power) he does point out significant policy errors (what he calls a fiasco) with the mandatory roll-out of smart meters in Victoria. Worth a read!

Smart electricity meters are a great idea. They offer opportunities for consumers and electricity retailers to develop innovative programs to save both power and money. Tied into smart appliances and the internet, smart meters are the way of the future.

Except in Victoria.

Unfortunately, in 2006 the Victorian government decided that it would mandate the roll out of smart meters. It would force every Victorian household to have, and pay for, a smart meter, whether it wanted it or not. It decided that we would all have the same type of meter, whether it suited our needs or not. It was a piece of central planning that would have made the old Soviet Union (or modern North Korea) proud.

Senators urge FCC to enforce cell phone tower regulations

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.,), ranking member of the House Communications Subcommittee, are accusing the FCC of failing to enforce safety guidelines on cell tower worker exposure to radiofrequency radiation, saying they are putting the health and safety of a quarter of a million workers at risk.

An FCC source said the commission continues to address the safety issues, enforce its rules, and to look for an order on exposure issues by year's end.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the powerful Democrats said that "even though the FCC recommends that wireless carriers control exposure to harmful RF radiation using safety protocols such as signs, barricades, and training, it has come to our attention that these recommendations have not consistently been implemented to protect workers."

They said beyond the hazards to cell tower workers of free-standing structures, the towers are now found atop all kinds of buildings from apartments and schools to hospitals, churches and fire stations, "putting RF technicians but also roofers, water proofers, electricians, carpenters, building maintenance personnel, HVAC technicians, painters, firefighters" and others at risk from the radiation.

"[w]’ve received the letter and are reviewing it," said an FCC spokesperson.

The senators recognized that in March 2013, the FCC issued a report and order reminding FCC licensees of their obligations regarding worker exposure, including fully informing them of the risk and their control over that exposure. But the FCC also issued a further notice with specific requirements for exposure limits in various categories.

The senators want the FCC to finalize that NPRM and to consult with OSHA to make sure it has teeth.

"It is unacceptable that RF warning signs have been found missing, mislabeled, unintelligible, or out-of-date, and that strategies to control access (e.g. barricades, locks, and fences) are in disrepair, they said.

The FCC has made deploying wireless broadband a priority, including easing tower citing. But the legislators don't want that to come at the expense of safety.

"We look forward to hearing what next steps you have planned to make sure that the expansion of our telecommunications infrastructure does not come at the expense of the health and safety of hardworking Americans," they wrote.

An FCC source said staffers are actively working on the issue, and that they are coordinating with OSHA as well as the FDA and EPA.

The commission has also taken enforcement actions regarding rooftop exposure signage. As to the NPRM: The source said look for an order by the end of the year.

“CTIA is not a scientific organization and we defer to the appropriate and qualified experts, such as the Federal Communications Commission," said CTIA: The Wireless Association SVP and general counsel Tom Power in response to the legislators' letter. "The Food and Drug Administration, the American Cancer Society and the World Health Organization (WHO), on RF safety. As the WHO has observed, '[f]rom all evidence accumulated so far, no adverse short- or long-term health effects have been shown to occur from the RF signals produced by base stations.' In light of this guidance, and the fact that the wireless industry makes every effort to comply with the FCC’s existing rules in this area, there is no evidence to conclude that the existing rules are inadequate.”http://bit.ly/1KU2mea

WASHINGTON (WTNH) — Senator Richard Blumenthal is raising concerns about the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) efforts to ensure that those working in close proximity to cellular antennas are not exposed to dangerous levels of radiofrequency (RF) radiation.

“Even though the FCC recommends that wireless carriers control exposure to harmful RF radiation using safety protocols such as signs, barricades, and training, it has come to our attention that these recommendations have not consistently been implemented to protect workers,” Blumenthal and Sen. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., wrote to the FCC chairman.

“Excessive exposure to RF radiation leads to well-documented potential harms, especially to workers who spend time near the antenna and in the line of the antenna’s beam. At sufficient power levels and exposure durations, RF radiation has the ability to heat biological tissue. Thermal effects can include eye damage, sterility, and cognitive impairments,” they wrote.

Follow by Email

Followers

About Me

While I have always been extremely health conscious and am presently in excellent health, I did become temporarily out-of-commission (i.e. I was really sick) in 2005 with a number of at the time unexplainable symptoms. I was quite puzzled at the time because I had been eating mainly organically grown food, drinking spring water, doing Yoga every morning, and going to the gym several times a week. In other words, I was doing everything one is supposed to do to stay healthy. I was not supposed to get sick. It took me six months before discovering or even imagining the main source of the problem - which was in fact "overexposure to electromagnetic" - especially microwave - radiation. I was living within 200 meters of two cell phone towers at the time and within 500 meters of a 3rd one with numerous WiFi signals bleeding into my apartment from adjacent neighbors. I developed a host of symptoms, which are found in what has been misleadingly described as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) -- but much more accurately described as Radio Wave or Microwave Sickness. Large numbers of people in the USA suddenly started getting sick in 1984...